Thai's obsession with food?

[Pom Michael]

In the US, we say things like "How are you, how was your day, have a good day, etc..." that is our culture - not like we really care what the reply will be - but it is our conversation starter.

 

In Thailand, their culture for informal speech, is to ask if you have eaten - that is their conversation starter. It seems that you have run into a bunch who take it to the extreme.

[Ranger]

so eating frequently ( and on schedule) is important

 

Where I can go 8 hours between meals with no complaints, if my wife doesn't eat every 3-4 hours she thinks the world is ending ::.

 

Ranger

[chuckwoww]

In China, ni chi (bao, fan) le ma? is a standard greeting.

[Stickman]

I am curious when you say that you don?t really care how people respond to the ?how are you?? or equivalent question. Are you serious?

[cavanami]

In the USA, asking "how are you" is just a courtesy.

 

If I really want a reaction from the person that asks me that question, I reply, "terrible", then a conversation will actual be related to "how I am".

 

In China, it is usually, "ni hao ma?", or literally, "you good?"

 

When I am with the Chinese/Malays in Malaysia, they are amazed that I eat so little and once a day is OK for me. After much discussion, I finally convinced them that this is my way of weight control.

They often told me that in their culture (Chinese) it is an honor to feed a guest and it makes them very happy when they can feed you.

Different cultures.

[Pom Michael]

Stick,

 

Well, maybe a bit harsh to rephrase it like I/we don't care - but really we are not asking because we want to know, we are asking because that is our culture and is expected. That is the whole point I was making with Thai's asking about food/have you eaten - that is was is expected from my social/informal dealings with Thai friends.

 

Japan is the same. Call someone on the phone (in a business sense) and if you don't say the same meaningless sentences they really don't understand how to react. Something like "Thank you for working with my company, how can I please you?"

 

So, long time no sense - How have YOU been?

 

Cheers!

[Guest]

I have been there. Coming from Droitwich it ain't that far away. WEIRD is not enough to describe the place. I felt pissed before I touched a drop.

[eee]

I have heard this from mid western, meat and potato Americans. Why people are so much into food?.Look at the French. I'm surprised at this statement because in the states, we have the fattest people in the world. especially in the west. They don't talk about it but they eat. They eat constantly the worst food possible and are killing themselves. If you really want to get down to it. My buddy tells me they don't want to put in the effort to cook. My take on this..don't have the taste for it for and they never had it. Just got used to eating meat and potato. You don't have the palate for it. Remember, people are different. maybe you should talk about boozing all the time with your buds....all day, everyday like they do with food?????? This kind of comments are usually made by a person who sticks to eating basic food,from a country with not much of a food appreciation. The Italians,French.......Asians are of course different. Maybe you just don't like your wife yapping with friends, which I can understand fully. good luck. eee

[Guest lazyphil]

not been, looks unique, if we go, they better serve food, i'll order her meat and potato pie with gravy....that'll sort out this thai hunger nonsense, we built empires eating tattys, not bloody noodles, lost the empire when we went all exotic eating currys etc.....a direct link i think!

[aesthete]

AF16 said:

At one time my wife were a bit moody and down and said she missed Thailand.

 

I put on my best 'conserned and sympatetic' face and said, there there I understand you missing your family and friends ....

 

She looked at me and said .. family .. what? I miss the food.

 

 

There you go

 

I was only there for two weeks and I miss the food. the realization kicked in the first time i got hungry back here in the states, and figured out that hunger wasn't a reason for excitement and adventure like is was in thailand.

 

EEE might have the right of it, though. I'm a southerner, and we tend to take more pride in our meals/cuisine than most americans, so that might explain the difference in attitude.